The London Classical Players (LCP) was a British

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

that specialized in music following historically informed performance (HIP) practices and orchestral performances on period musical instruments. Sir Roger Norrington founded the LCP in 1978. From 1978 to 1992, the

concertmaster The concertmaster (from the German ''Konzertmeister''), first chair (U.S.) or leader (U.K.) is the principal first violin player in an orchestra (or clarinet in a concert band). After the conductor, the concertmaster is the second-most signifi ...

of the London Classical Players was

baroque violinist A Baroque violin is a violin set up in the manner of the baroque period of music. The term includes original instruments which have survived unmodified since the Baroque period, as well as later instruments adjusted to the baroque setup, and moder ...

John Holloway. The LCP made a variety of recordings for EMI Classics. Many of the players in the LCP overlapped with four other major HIP orchestral ensembles, the Academy of Ancient Music, the English Concert, the

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) is a British period instrument orchestra. The OAE is a resident orchestra of the Southbank Centre, London, associate orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera Artistic Associate at Kings Place, and h ...

, and the

English Baroque Soloists The English Baroque Soloists is a chamber orchestra playing on period instruments, formed in 1978 by English conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Its repertoire comprises music from the early Baroque to the Classical period. History The English B ...

. Among their famous concert series was "The Beethoven Experience" in 1987, and "The Berlioz Experience" in 1988. In 1996, the LCP was invited to open the Prague Spring Festival in the traditional opening festival concert of Bedrich Smetana's ''Ma Vlast'', a controversial decision at the time. In 1997 the LCP formally dissolved and its work was absorbed into the

Selected discography

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

: The Nine Symphonies, Virgin Classics 5619432 (reissue) *

: The Five Piano Concertos, Virgin Classics 5622422 (reissue) * Hector Berlioz: ''Symphonie fantastique'', Overture ''Les Francs-Juges'', Virgin Classics 3632862 (reissue) * Johannes Brahms: ''Ein deutsches Requiem'', Virgin Veritas 5616052 (reissue) * Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 3, Virgin Veritas 4820912 (reissue) *

Georg Friedrich Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

: ''Water Music'', ''Music for the Royal Fireworks'', Virgin Veritas (reissue) * Joseph Haydn: Symphonies Nos. 99 and 100 (EMI Classics), 101 and 102 (EMI Classics), 103 and 104 (EMI Classics) * Felix Mendelssohn: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4, Virgin Veritas 3499832 (reissue) *

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

: **Symphonies Nos. 38- 41, Virgin Veritas 5620102 (reissue) **''Die Zauberflöte'', Virgin Veritas 4820732 **''Don Giovanni'', Virgin Veritas 5622672 (reissue with ''Die Zauberflöte'') **Piano Concertos Nos. 20, 23–25, Virgin Veritas 5623432 (reissue) **''Requiem/Masonic Funeral Music/"Ave verum corpus"'', Virgin Veritas 5615202 * Henry Purcell: ''The Fairy Queen'', Virgin Veritas 5619552 *

Gioacchino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards ...

: Overtures, EMI Classics *

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wo ...

: Symphonies Nos. 4-6 and 8, Virgin Veritas 5622272 (reissue) * Robert Schumann: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4, Virgin Veritas 3499832 (reissue) *

Bedřich Smetana Bedřich Smetana ( , ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival." He has been regarded i ...

: ''Ma Vlast'', Virgin Veritas 5453012 * Richard Wagner: Preludes to ''Rienzi'', ''Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg'' and ''Parsifal'', Prelude and Liebestod from ''Tristan und Isolde'', Act III Prelude to ''Lohengrin'', ''Siegfried Idyll'', Virgin Veritas 4820912 (reissue) *

Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber (18 or 19 November 17865 June 1826) was a German composer, conductor, virtuoso pianist, guitarist, and critic who was one of the first significant composers of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas, ...

: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2, ''

Konzertstück A concert piece (German: Konzertstück; French: pièce de concert, also morceau de concert) is a musical composition, in most cases in one movement, intended for performance in a concert. Usually it is written for one or more virtuoso instrumenta ...

'', EMI Classics

References

External links

Bernard Holland, "Review/Music; The Beethoven Influences: He on Today, Today on Him". ''New York Times'', 8 August 1989.
{{Authority control 1978 establishments in England 1997 disestablishments in England Early music groups London orchestras Disbanded orchestras Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups disestablished in 1997